Car-vestibule diaphragm.



,PATENTED Dams, 1903. s. D. FULLER.

GAR VESTIBULE DIAPHRAGM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 7, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

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U ITE STATES Patented December 8, 1903,

PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL DOW FULLER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR ro ACME SUPPLY 00., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

' CAR-VESTIBU LE DIAPH RAGM.

SPEGIFIGATION fOrming part of Letters Patent No. 746,062; dated December 8, 1903. Application filed May 7, 1903. Serial No. 156.114. (No model.)

To all whom it may, concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL DOW FULLER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gar-VestibuleDiaphragms; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates more particularly to a car-vestibule diaphragm of that class in which the diaphragm is made of a plurality of layers of fabric, such as cotton-belting or the like, sewed edge to edge to afford an accordion plait. In diaphragms of this class it has been common to construct the upper corners or bends of the diaphragm by butting the ends of the strips together and sewing leather or the like over the joint, thus aifording such weak seams that the diaphragms are not stiff enough at the top to prevent the same from sagging under the constant jolting and vibration due to the movement of the car.

The object of this invention is to provide a construction at once cheap and simple'and of such strength as to hold the top of the diaphragm from sagging, while enabling the diaphragm to be folded into a minimum space.

The inventionconsists inthe matters hereinafter described and more fully pointed out and defined in the appended claims. 4

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a central transverse section taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of the same.

As shown in said drawings, said diaphragm is constructed in three pieces or sections comprising the legs A and A, the top A each comprising straight strips of fabric, such as cotton-belting orthe like, of a suitable Width and having the alternate edges thereof stitched or otherwise permanently secured to the corresponding edges of similar strips placed thereon and affording an accordion plait, as more fully shown in Fig. 3. The free edge of the last strip on each side is turned securely together.

outwardly to permit the same to be rigidly secured to the diaphragm face-plate B or vestibule face-plate B by riveting or other suitable means. The strips forming the legs are 5 5 of two lengths, arranged alternately,thus presenting alternate long and short ends for the strips at the upper end of each leg, and the top section is constructed of strips of equal length arranged to provide alternate long and short ends on alternate strips at each end of the top, the arrangement at each end being complemental with the corresponding end of the adjacent leg. In securing said legs and the top section A together cornerpieces A are used,each composed of strips strips forming the top A and the leg-sections A and A. The upper ends of said corne'r-sec- 8o tions are then placed within the folds of the top section and outside the leg, so that the ends of the top strips overlap the complemental ends of the corner and the ends of said corner-strips overlap the complemental ends of the leg-strips, and said laps are stitched The transverse seams formed by the junction of said corner-sections Wit-h the legs and top are thus arranged alternate one above the other, as shown in 0 Figs. 1 and 4 and indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the strips forming-the corner-sections extending beneath the corresponding strips forming the top and outside of the corresponding strips forming the legs, thus afally employed to cover the raw edges of tlie strips, and the same may be secured thereto by stitching or in any other desired manner. The operation is as follows: The staggered arrangementof the transverse seams forming the connection between leg-strips and the corners of the top strips adds very greatly to the strength and rigidityoi' the corner, while permitting the diaphragm to be folded much more closelytogether than has heretofore been possible, and it is obvious that the same, in connection with the broad web formed at the top of the diaphragm and which extends down the corners to the legs, affords such rigidity as to obviate the use of any auxiliary stiitening means, as in diaphragms where the strips are verynarrow. The construction described enables the diaphragm to be to a certain extent self-cleansing, as there are no raw edges to permit lodgment of dust and dirt therein. Obviously auxiliary stiltening means may be used in conjunction with my improvements or invention, if d sired, and any suitable fastening means may be employed as preferred and details of construction may be varied without departing from the principles of this invention.

I claim as my invention 1. A car-vestibule diaphragm comprising straight,aceordion-plaited legs, and a straight, similarly-plaited top section, corner-sections joining the same, also accordion-plaited and having the ends directed at a right angle with each other, the ends of the corner-plaits being alternately long and short and secured by sewing or the like to the corresponding plaits of the top and leg sections, and when so joined to provide transverse alternatelyarranged or staggered seams.

2. Adiaphragm of the class described comprising straight legs and a top section, each formed of a plurality of strips the alternate ends of which are arranged to project beyond the intermediate strips and corner-sections comprising strips of equal length arranged to present alternate long and short ends at each end of the section and sewed .to the end of the top section and leg by stitching the long ends of the corner-section to the short ends of the top and leg and the reverse, thus providing altcrnately-arranged or staggered transverse seams at the junction of the top and leg with the corner.

3. In a car-diaphragm the combination with leg-sections each comprising a plurality of strips of fabric having alternate edges stitched to adjacent similar strips to attord accordion plaits, the upper ends of alternate strips projecting beyond the ends of the adjadent strips, a similarly-constructed top section having the strips of equal length and arranged to provide at each end thereof alternate long and short ends of the strips and GOlllGP-SGCEIOIIS similarly arranged and ad apted'to be secured within the top and outside long ends of said corners being stitched to the short ends of the top and legs and the reverse and pro viding staggered trai'isverse seams, and a line of stitching or the like extending from the legs around the corner and top of the diaphragm and having its greatest distance from the margin along the top and providing a broad, stilt web along the top and at each of the upper angles acting to support the diaphragm.

4. The combination with aecordion-plaited leg'sections and a top section each comprising a plurality of strips of fabric sewed by alternate edges to adjacent strips and having the alternate ends of said strips in the legs and top respectively longer and shorter than adjacent strips, corner-pieces forming the connection between the legs and top and also constructed of strips and having long and short ends, said corner-piece being secured within the top of the diaphragm and outside of the leg of the diaphragm by means of transverse seams connecting colnplemental ends of the strips and arranged staggering of the diaphragm.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL DO\V FULLER.

lVitnesses:

ALFRED O. ODELL, W. W. WITHENBURY.

of the legs by rows of transverse stitches, the 

